TC 357: Comedy, Ancient and Modern
Some guidelines for writing your term papers.
I. Choose for your topic any application of the aspect of comedy you have chosen to work on this semester. Be sure, however, that you keep your topic sufficiently narrow that you can deal with it thoroughly in a paper of twenty or so pages. See me if you would like suggestions.
II. Follow the guidelines on style, structure, and other matters listed in the general paper guidelines.
III. I expect you to consult at least eight secondary works; you
will probably want to use more.
a. You may use as many web pages as you wish, but at least seven of
the works you cite must be books or articles (i.e., not web
pages).
b. Be sure to "dig deep" in seeking secondary sources. Go beyond
general works to more specific articles relevant to your subject,
using leads given by the bibliographies of the more general works,
and by the appropriate databases on the UT library
website.
d. All works cited should be listed in a bibliography at the back of
your paper.
IV. Although these secondary works are important, your paper should by no means be a work of "cut and paste," in which you merely compile what others have said. Your paper should reflect your own thoughts about the topic you have chosen and should be built around a thesis of your own creation. Also remember that any information or ideas you derive from another author, whether or not you quote the author directly, must be cited in a note.
V. Pay particular attention to structure. Outline carefully before you begin writing, and be sure to summarize your arguments in both your introduction and your conclusion.
VI. For the form of notes and bibliography, consult a guide to style such as The Chicago Manual of Style or the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, both of which are available in the reference rooms of UGL or PCL. It is not important to me that you follow any one particular system, but it is important that you be clear and consistent. Bibliographical entries should contain complete publishing information: author, title, publisher, place and date of publication for books; author, title of article, name, volume and year of journal, and page numbers for articles. Notes should always make clear to what page in what work you are referring. Please do not use ibid. or op.cit..
VII. I expect that you will have questions as you proceed, so be sure not to put this off until the last minute, and consult me about any concerns you have. Reference librarians in PCL and UGL will also be able to offer you good advice on doing research, as will the folks at the Undergraduate Writing Center (FAC 211; 471-6222).
VIII. Your paper must be at least 20 pages long (there is no maximum length).
IX. Keep in mind the following deadlines:
March 4: a preliminary list of sources
March 28: outline
April 22: draft
May 11: final version